Here Are 5 Basic Fitness Tips to Make a Fitness Journey Easier
Starting a fitness journey can seem intimidating, with all the videos, information, and rules online. These are 5 basic fitness tips for an absolute beginner to get momentum started. They’ll make working out and boosting wellness easy.
Learn what easy basic fitness tips you need to try if you are an absolute beginner, and get started on your way to better health today!
5 Basic Fitness Tips
At the end of the day, fitness comes down to working out, resting, eating well, and repeating. There is an important element that many forget, so make sure you check out the last bonus tip at the end for full benefits! Without further ado, here are 5 basic fitness tips, and a must-try bonus tip!
1. Start at Home
Something that can be intimidating for a lot of people is going to the gym. Plus, many may not have the time or means to go to the gym. Luckily, it is easy to start your fitness journey right from the comfort of your home.
Start doing at-home workouts when you are just getting started. It is easy to time a workout video that fits within your time limit, from 10 minutes to hour-long sessions. You can do them whenever suits you and you still get many benefits, as some require no equipment. All you need is a couple of bodyweight movements and you’ve begun! Try out some of the best calisthenic moves here for a full-body workout without the gym or equipment!
2. Eat the Rainbow
This is commonly said but always followed. Eating the rainbow simply means eating a large variety of foods. There can be different kinds of vegetables and fruits. Start incorporating variety into every meal. It is easy to start off with a small salad or fruit bowl, then move on to your main course.
Another tip to include here is when you are eating. Fuel up well before working out and afterward. This ensures you have the energy to exercise well and have the energy to recover well later on! Plus, make sure you have a variety of different proteins with your meals to stay filled up and full! Protein is full of essential amino acids your body needs to recover and repair. Good sources of protein include chicken, beef, seafood, eggs, dairy, and non-animal products like lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and tempeh.
3. Warm up and Cool Down
Skipping warming up is one of the main reasons injury occurs. Try to avoid skipping your warm-up. This helps get the blood pumping and oxygen high. Warming up also stretches the muscles to ensure they are ready for harder activity.
Cooling down is also very vital, as it can help reduce pain after a workout and helps to decrease the heart rate at a steady pace. Cooling down helps return the body to normal and will reduce any strain on the muscles felt in the future.
4. Stop Comparing Yourself
Comparing yourself is not good for physical or mental health. It is part of the reason why social media is detrimental to wellbeing. You cannot compare a filtered, edited snapshot of someone’s life to your own. Even fitness influences tend to only show the best, most productive days. They won’t post about that fast food snack they had or the easy day at the gym they tried out.
In fitness, you should not compare your start to the midway or endpoint of someone else’s journey. This can lead you to feeling insecure and stressed. Instead, go at your own pace, increasing strength as you progress, and worry less about what others are doing. This can help bring peace of mind and self-determination. Working out is not you versus anyone else, it is you versus you.
5. Monitor Recovery Time
Recovery matters. Give your body the space and time it needs to heal, especially after a long, hard workout. This is essential to repairing and growing strength, endurance, and stamina. Taking breaks is not lazy, it is needed to avoid injury and build up fitness. Part of recovery is also in what you eat and when you sleep.
It is very important to monitor meals, sleep, and activity on rest days. Make sure you are eating enough, sleeping well, and partaking in active rest days. This means you do light movements like a short walk, yoga, or stretching to ensure recovery is smooth. When you sleep, essential muscle-building activities occur that can heal the body. Plus, eating well gives your body the building blocks it needs to repair.
Bonus 6. Balance
There is no fitness without balance. In truth, a fitness journey has to do with lifestyle changes. You start to eat well, work out, rest, and repeat. Every meal ends up being highly nutritious, so you cut out dessert. You work out a lot and have little to no energy to do anything else. Maybe you start resting more, but end up having no time to self-care and enjoy yourself. Simply following that is not what life is about.
It is essential to have treats, to enjoy a night out, or to eat something considered “bad.” Lifestyle health also includes balancing fun times with work times with rest times. It is all included in a basic fitness journey, hence why it is an important tip to keep in mind.
The Takeaway
Fitness can seem intimidating, but it is the easiest thing to start. Basic fitness tips include starting at home, eating well before and after a workout, and recovering well. Try not to compare your start with the midpoint of someone else’s journey, and make sure you work on balance. All work and no play sucks.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat well, move your body daily, and care for your mental health. Daily habits are the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. As shown above, take care of your gut health! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
